Chapter Two
Ayden
The flight crew lined up on the tarmac next to the shining plane. The pilot, co-pilot, and three flight attendants all smiled and shook my hand. They were the first people to greet me without knowing my background. In my new suit and standing next to Jace, I could have been anybody. I knew I needed to decide who that was and quick.
Inside it had been easy to outline exactly who I wanted to be. All I had to do was look around and eliminate what I did not want to be. Now I watched Jace greeting the staff of his own private jet, and I wondered how I was supposed to fit in. This had been far out of my scope of imagination.
"What kind of plane you got here?" I asked the pilot. I had no idea what else to say.
"Bombardier Learjet 85," the pilot said. He stepped back and gave a proud sweep of his arm. "The very best in private luxury. She's a real treat to fly too. Feel free to check out the cockpit."
"He doesn't want to spend his flight jammed in the cockpit," one of the flight attendants chirped. "He's going to want to stretch those long legs."
Legs were all I could think about when I looked at her. The black pencil skirt was classy but hugged her curves in a way that drew my eye. I forced myself to study the plane as we boarded.
"What's with the logo?" I asked Jace.
He laughed. "You're telling me you haven't been playing chess for the last fifteen years? It’s a knight. Get it?"
"Yeah, your last name. Very clever," I shook my head.
"That too, but it’s mostly a nod to you. I was never much of a chess player. It’s how we used to talk about football," Jace said. "One masterful person looking down on the field and moving all us players. Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember. My dad knocked me upside the head for making that analogy.” My spine stiffened at the memory.
"And probably for using the word 'analogy.' You play while you were, ah, away?" Jace asked. He led the way up the steps to the private jet.
Chess inside had been intense. Those inmates that played craved the intellectual showdown and spent hours studying strategy. Within my first two years I had devoured the prison library's chess books and used every second of my computer time to study. Towards the end, there were very few players willing to sit down with me.
I looked up at the white knight on a black background and smiled. It was nice to see my opening move on the side of Jace's plane. It had to be a good sign.
Jace's phone rang. He apologized and disappeared into the interior of the plane. I took one more look around at the wide Texas horizon. I had imagined flying out of San Antonio thousands of times. Once we lifted off, I was going to leave everything behind and be free. It was just I had always imagined doing that in coach, and now here I was in the doorway of a private jet.
Everything about the Learjet was a shock. The aisle was more spacious than I thought possible from the sleek exterior. The seats were wide leather recliners. Everything was ivory and gold except for the floor that was carpeted in a rich red and gold pattern.
I stretched out in my seat and did my best not to look at the flight attendant's legs again. She appeared with a pint glass, a bottle of microbrew beer, and a thick black folder.
"Mr. Knight is on the phone with his business manager." She used a bottle opener with a deft move and poured the rich, dark beer into the glass. "He said you'd like to look over his business portfolio. Is there anything else you need before takeoff?"
I riveted my eyes to the thick black folder and ignored her lush red lips. "That's a thick portfolio. I think I'll be busy the entire flight. Thanks."
Jace finished his phone call and flopped down in the ivory leather seat across the aisle from me. He nodded towards the portfolio. "It’s called Knight Holdings. To be honest, I can't tell you everything that's in there, but I can give you the run-down: industrial real estate, stocks and bonds, a winery somewhere north of San Francisco, a restaurant in NYC, and four clubs in Las Vegas."
I opened the portfolio. "There's a lot more in here than that."
Jace buckled his seat belt. The flight attendant arrived with a tall glass of water garnished with a cucumber slice. She handed Jace the water and two white pills. "Not a good flier," he said. He took the pills and settled back in his seat. "Hope that can keep you entertained."
I could have sat back and enjoyed the view, both inside the fuselage and out the window. I could have chatted to any of the three flight attendants that kept smiling at me. I could have gotten drunk, seen where those receptive smiles went, and spent the whole flight indulging in one of the thousands of fantasies I had while inside.
Instead, I studied. It felt good to have a challenge laid out in front of me and before we landed, I had memorized every detail of Jace's impressive business portfolio. The man had stepped out of the NFL and built himself an empire. It was no wonder he was always looking over his shoulder. Jace had enough that everyone would want a piece of him.
My friend woke up in time to white-knuckle the landing. "Just a short ride from here," he said.
We left the ivory and gold interior of the Learjet and climbed into a black-on-black SUV the size of three cells. Outside the black-tinted windows, I saw the Vegas skyline flash by like a rainbow hallucination. We headed out of town and far up a ridge to a ritzy neighborhood. Jace's mansion looked over the bright beacon of The Strip.
The tall security fences around opened slowly, and I took a deep breath. I had to remind myself it was a multi-million dollar home, not prison.
"Don't worry, man. You can leave whenever you want, but once you see inside, you are not going to want to go anywhere," Jace grinned.
Outside was enough to convince me. The lush, manicured lawns and arching palm trees were enough to show me I was far away from where I had woken up that morning.
* * * * *
The three story Spanish style mansion glowed as the sun dropped behind it. We walked up the front steps to the wide portico, our backs to Las Vegas, and I knew that behind the house would be a spectacular panoramic view of the sunset. The early evening was still hot and the sudden deep shade of the portico was a welcome luxury.
From the cool shade, Jace waved a hand towards the garage. I did a double take and noticed there were six custom garage doors.
"Just a little place for my toys."
"Is there a Lotus in there anywhere?" I inquired.
"You remembered," Jace smiled. "Yeah, it’s in stall #1. There's also a Rolls Royce, a Ducati, a red convertible Ferrari, and room for the jet-skis."
I watched as the huge black-on-black SUV slowly inched into the last stall. It was a close fit, but his driver was a professional.
"Jet-skis?" I blurted out. "Last time I checked you were afraid of drowning in a hot tub. I can't really imagine you bouncing across the waves."
Jace laughed. "I got over the water thing."
"Because you have a full staff all around that would dive in to save your rich ass."
He punched me on the shoulder and laughed harder. "Never thought of it that way but, yeah, you're right." He pushed open the large double-doors to his house. "Autumn always does the tours for me. She's going to complain how terrible I am at it, but here goes: there's a private cinema in the basement complete with popcorn maker, bar and twenty or so recliners; up here we've got an indoor pool, a full chef's kitchen, a dining room that can seat twenty, and all the pretty things I needed to fill in between."
I watched Jace pat a priceless statue. He waved a hand over a wall of Pablo Picasso sketches as if they were just something he'd picked up at a garage sale.
"Who's Autumn?" It was hard to move past the Rodin sculpture lit perfectly in its custom alcove.
"My Executive Assistant. Basically the woman that forces me to go where I'm supposed to, do what I need to do, and chew with my mouth closed so people don't think I'm a Neanderthal," Jace said.
"She's gotta be a tough girl to take on all that.”
"Oh, she's a battle axe. You'll hate her. I can't wait for you two to meet."
I stopped at a gilded door. "I gotta take a piss before I meet your enforcer."
Inside the guest bathroom was a gold-plated suite larger than the prison library. The toilet lit up and flushed itself. The golden faucets were spotless and turned themselves on and off. The water was programmed to the perfect temperature. I looked at myself in the antique gilt mirror and laughed. My short black hair had always fallen in waves that were easy to ignore. The suit was still a shock, so elegant and expensive. The only thing I recognized was the stubble starting to appear, and the hard edge in my blue eyes. I tried a practice smile but the edge did not soften. The smile made me look like a dog ready to bite.
I stepped out of the gilded bathroom and scrubbed at my chin. How was I supposed to act like a legitimate businessman when all I saw in the mirror was a criminal?
"Who the hell are you?" a deep voice asked.
The mountain of a man confirmed my own suspicions. I did not look like someone to trust. He crossed his tree-trunk arms and scowled down at me.
"Not impressed. That's who I am," I snarled.
"Give me a name and pray you're on the guest list, or I'll give you a quick trip through the front door."
"Try it and I'll give you a quick trip to hell." I stepped forward even though the man was four inches and fifty pounds bigger than me.
"I see you've met my bodyguard. Ayden King, may I present Alan Hodge?" Jace watched us with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
"This is Mr. King?" the mountain said. He tipped his head and looked glad to back off.
Jace grabbed my arm and steered me through an arched doorway. "I'm kicking myself for interrupting. Man, I seriously have no idea who would have made it out of that fight. You've gone far beyond scrappy, my friend."
I was glad the room we entered was noteworthy enough to change the subject. "Is that a real shark?" I asked.
"Yeah, the whole ceiling above the bar is an aquarium," Jace turned me around. "The aquarium actually goes all around the room and over the door, see? That way the water is constantly in motion, and we're able to keep bigger fish, like sharks."
"We?"
"Me and the professionals that take care of all of this," Jace said. "My job is to throw parties here and impress people."
I opened my mouth to tell him I was impressed, but my breath was gone. Through the crystal blue water of the aquarium, I had caught sight of a woman. Long sandy blonde hair floated away, and I wondered if I had imagined her. Too beautiful to be real.
"I know, I know," Jace said. "Why does a man that doesn't drink have so many bars? It does seem a little crazy, I know, but it’s the life, man. I have to entertain."
"What a burden," I groaned.
Jace laughed. He had always thrived at the center of the social hurricane. I was the opposite, and if it hadn't been for Jace, I never would have spoken to a girl. He had unbelievable luck with women.
Thinking about the beauty I had glimpsed through the aquarium, I cleared my throat. "So your lady must keep you on a short leash with all the lavish parties."
"What lady?" Jace cried. "My personal life is a dismal mess, but I'm sure you aren't too surprised to hear that.
We settled on bar stools and a bartender appeared through a side door.
"Make that old-fashioned cherry soda, would you?" Jace requested.
"Boss says I can't be giving you that much sugar," the bartender said.
"You're not the boss?" I eyeballed Jace.
"Yeah, I know. I ask myself that every day," Jace said. He twirled his bar stool around and bellowed. "Autumn!"
His executive assistant appeared in the doorway. Long sandy blonde hair, deep brown eyes, and a willowy frame kicked me in the chest. I caught my breath back and said, "That doesn't look like a dismal mess to me."
"Autumn? No, man, never. Look at her; that's not for me," Jace said.
I looked even though it hurt. Jace's executive assistant was stunning in a closely tailored charcoal gray dress. The white cashmere cardigan fit tightly around her waist and framed a neckline that caused my thoughts to shatter.
"Ayden King, this is Autumn Bishop, my executive assistant. Ask anyone and they'll tell you I can't wipe my ass without her," Jace said.
"Don't be vulgar," Autumn said. She was diminutive, only 5'5" and slender, but she had an iron core.
Jace laughed but when her dark brown eyes swept over me, I found it impossible to breathe much less laugh.
"This is your long-lost friend?" she inquired. "Nice to meet you."
I shook her hand despite the current of desire the simple touch fired through me. "Likewise," I managed.
Autumn refused to smile. Smart girl. She was going to wait and see exactly what kind of man I turned out to be before she bothered with me. I respected that. After all, I was doing the same thing.
* * * * *
I watched Autumn leave. The conservative gray dress clung to her curves and her blonde hair skimmed down her back almost to her waist. My hand flexed, wanting to reach out and touch her, and I forced it back. Instead, I scrubbed at my stubble-covered chin and hid the frown at the slick man that ran into her in the doorway.
The man was in his late forties, his thinning brown hair cut short to hide the loss. His suit was a flashy silver-gray matched with a bright tie and a heavy gold watch. He was only slightly taller than Autumn, but looked down his nose at her.
She gave him a tight smile. "Hello, David."
I felt her irritation from across the room. Non-verbal cues were a survival skill for me, and her body pulled back from David. She stood taller and stiffer. Autumn did not like him at all, but she was polite. She slipped out of the room, and I made a note to ask her about her reaction later.
"Ayden, I want you to meet my business manager, David Rooke." Jace wrapped an arm around the slick man.
David seemed concerned about his suit wrinkling, but he forced a friendly camaraderie. "Ayden King, it’s nice to meet you. Jace has said wonderful things about you."
"Depends on your definition of wonderful," I replied.
David gave me a measuring look. The scowl that sprinted across his lips said he did not like what he saw. I was taller, broad-shouldered, flat-stomached, and hard. He was none of those things and took a step back after our handshake.
"Can I call you Ayden? I know we're all excited to have you here," David said.
I wiped my hand on the front of my suit coat. The ingratiating tone in his voice made me want to punch him. "Rooke, huh? So Jace has surrounded himself by chess pieces? You always did like to stick to a theme," I pointed out.
Jace laughed. "David's been questioning me about that for years. But, no, I hired Autumn for her excellent skills."
I looked at David who puffed out his thin chest. "It’s pronounced that way, but there’s actually an ‘e’ on the end. Rook, without the ‘e’ is another word for raven, like on my family crest."
A family crest, for god's sake. The man was all image and no substance. He would have been crumpled up and thrown away inside. The words 'business manager' finally registered, and I could not hide the frown on my face.
David adjusted his heavy, expensive watch. "So, Ayden, now that you're, um, here, I'm sure you've got lots of plans for yourself."
Well, that answered the question of whether or not Jace had filled in everyone about my past. "For myself, yes," I said.
"Of course he does and the first step is working for me." Jace put one meaty hand on both our shoulders. "Ayden is my new VP of Business Development."
"I'm sorry, you're what? We were just talking about how efficient my office is." David tugged his suit coat down over his rounded stomach. "Since when are you hiring more people? I thought we wanted to stay lean."
"Last time I checked, I was in charge of hiring. Ayden's the new VP of Business Development." Jace squeezed our shoulders.
David winced. "What does that mean? What exactly will he be doing?"
"Developing business," I said.
It was a bad habit, but it had been ingrained in me to put men in their place. David Rooke struck me as the kind of man that was always grasping, climbing, and trying to scramble over others to get what he wanted. More shiny suits and big watches.
Jace was constantly targeted by men like David Rooke. The social climbers in school clung to him, and I had watched his unsuccessful teammates hang on his fame. He had always been the one that others used: talented, jovial, larger than life, and happy to help. I did not want to jump into business with David, but I wanted to protect Jace.
The funny thing is I got the exact same vibe from David. He was measuring me. When he could not get a good read, he bit his lip.
I know what I looked like. An ex-con from Jace's wild child days. I'd reappeared when he was rich and famous, and here I was all set up with a job title. The wary look in Autumn Bishop’s had said it all as well. I looked like a parasite.
Jace laughed and dropped his hands. "Don't worry, David. We'll get the business sorted. We always do. You'll make a good team. Trust me."
"Well, business is all about trust," David quipped. "How about you tell me some of your plans and projections?"
"Slow down, honey, we just met," I drawled. "You'll have plenty of time to peek up my skirt on our second date."
"See? Didn't I tell you he was the best?" Jace asked. He clapped his hands and finished the conversation.
When he did not get to hear anymore, David checked his watch again and pretended to be late. "Jace, I'll call you first thing in the morning and let you know how the meeting went. Did you find that contract?"
"I'm going to look for it now," Jace groaned. He led the way to the door.
David straightened his bright tie and took off in the opposite direction. I stood in the doorway directly under the aquarium and did not move. The dark shadow of a shark passed over my head.
"Yeah, I know. You don't like him. But it's business, Ayden. That's the way it looks," Jace said.
"It’s not him. I don't like him, but it’s not him. VP of Business Development?" I asked. "That's not happening. I'm going to do this right. First thing I'm going to do is check in with my parole officer, and then I'm going to get a real job."
"It is a real job, or it will be as soon as Autumn draws up the contract," Jace declared. "Now, come on, it’s my ass if I don't find that contract."
"Your assistant doesn't do that for you?" I wondered.
"She put it in my home office before my interior designer decided to start a new project." Jace shook his head and gestured down the hallway. "I gotta just show you. It’s a mess."
His home office was buried under a show room's worth of decorative knickknacks, lamps, vases, and curtain samples. There was also a stash of NFL swag still in cardboard boxes. Far in the corner was a precarious tower of what looked to be party supplies.
"There's someone coming to clear it all out tomorrow," Jace explained.
"So the whole 'work from home' thing is really going well?" I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Alright, man," Jace chuckled, "you need a job. How about you clear all this crap out and find me that sunglasses endorsement contract."
I looked around the room and smelled a rat. "You didn't have them do this on purpose, did you?"
"No, but the timing is perfect, isn't it? It’s an en suite office," Jace said. "There's a guest apartment behind it complete with bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, and sitting room. And the office has French doors that lead to the patio."
The doors were barricaded by a large pair of faux Roman columns clearly meant to grace a larger room. Underneath it all, the office had clean lines, hardwood floors and built-in bookshelves. The storage explosion continued on into the guest suite, but I could have it sorted and cleared out in a few hours.
"I can help you out for tonight, but there's no way I'm taking some random job title that you made up," I compromised.
"Who says I made it up? I've heard that title before, shit. I've even met some of those guys," Jace said.
"And what do they do?" I inquired.
"Good question. Make it your job to find out," Jace answered. He leaned on a cardboard box and knocked a few NFL water bottles to the ground. "I know we're not going to see eye to eye with this, but it’s happening, Ayden. I'm paying you back for the good you did for me. There's no way I'm letting you scrape by. That ex-con thing is going to stick with you. I'm offering you a legit start."
"By conning me into taking your charity?" I crossed my arms.
Jace laughed. "Would it help if I told you there's a guest cottage out behind the pool? It’s been renovated to a more male aesthetic whatever the hell that means. It also has a wardrobe full of suits and clothes in your size. That's charity, but I'm not going to offer that to you."
"Anymore," I said.
"Right. Because you want to earn your way and I get that. You gave me the opportunity to earn my way out of Texas, and I'm sure as shit going to return the favor. Clean up this sty and it’s yours. Figure out what a VP of Business Development does, do it, and the job is yours."
"I don't mean to insult you."
"Good, it's settled," Jace rubbed his hands together. He made a quick phone call and a staff member arrived at the door with my things. "Toss this in the bedroom. I'm taking you out to celebrate."
He'd forgotten about the contract, but I could find it when we got back. At least I had a place to stay for the night and a way to pay him back for it.